I was finally able to get to my spot in the hills on Friday evening. I decided to set up on the north half of the property where I could hear the primary roosting spots on that half. Darkness came and I had not heard anything but pileated woodpeckers and I knew nothing had roosted on those ridges. This was part of my plan. I didn't want to bust up the property and I knew if heard nothing there, by process of elimination, I would hunt the 2 south ridges on Saturday morning.
Saturday morning I headed out and was walking on top of the ridge to my listening spot when I coyote let out and BAM he gobbled right where I was headed. From first gobble, I could tell this would was no young spring chicken, so I figured I had my work cut out for me. I set up about 150-200 yards away and he gobbled good (probably 50-75 times). I gave a couple quiet tree yelps but no answer. Once I thought he hit the ground, I let out some slightly louder yelps, still no answer but I could hear drumming. This went on for 10-15 more minutes, as I'm just waiting for him to pop over the ridge. All of a sudden, I see him pitch down out of the tree and into the bottom... ahhh I was wrong, he either switched trees or the ridge was just playing tricks on me.
I knew within a few minutes that he had no interest in coming to me. He would gobble at every single thing but me. So I snuck up the steep bank and stared down into the ravine and finally spied him. For a solid hour, he didn't move 10 yards total, strutting, gobbling up the draw, down the draw, and up the hill. Quadruple gobbling at nothing. So now the thinking game starts. He has no hens, obviously lonely, but doesn't want to come to me. I could probably belly crawl and ambush him but that didn't seem fair. So I waited and watched without making a sound.
He finally makes a move and of course its the opposite direction, so I barrel off the cliff and start hustling around him. Although he continues to gobble, I can't hear him due to the terrain. I walk about 300 yards and climb back up the cliff and wait about a minute and GOBBLE, about 150-200 yards away and I can tell I'm on the same level as him.
Knowing that he seemed uninterested in my previous call, I switch diaphragms and pull out a trusty pot. I yelp raspy and nasty to him and actually got a response (this would be the only time he ever responded to me in this 3 hour episode). I play the waiting game and he seems to be doing the same thing, strutting and gobbling in one place waiting on me. I yelped 2 series with both calls to sound like 2 hens and then played the quiet game. He sounded a little closer, so I just make light clucks and scratch the leaves. After another 30 minutes, he starts slowly closing in. He makes his way in and appears like a ghost in full strut at 50 yards. I let him close the distance, angling to my left and let the 20 gauge loose at 40 yards and he hits the dirt. I figured he was an old warrior, but I didn't expect him to be this big.
Total time 3 hours, 500 gobbles, and 1 big smile
21 lbs 10 oz
10.25 beard
1 3/8 matching spurs
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